Intermission

I'm obviously a few days late with my photos, but I've given myself permission to have a break.  There are too many other things that I need to focus on, to get through this week, and then I'll be back to all the photo's I've missed (I have got pics most days, it's just the uploading etc that I don't really have time for at the moment.)

I have an exam on Wednesday at 1.30pm, backed up by my huge one the next day at 8.30am.  To say I'm not happy about them being so close together is a given.  I like to do an exam, then "brain dump" to allow a day or so to concentrate on the next one - something I'm not going to be able to do this time.  I've also got the added concern of one of my follow throughs being due, and going into labour at any time.  I'm hoping that if she doesn't go into labour tonight, she gives me a few days and then preferably goes after my exam on the Thursday.  I know that if I'm at the hospital and she is in established labour I can defer the exam, but that sucks too.  The deferred exams are a month away, and I'd prefer to just get it over and done with. 

Also added to my dilemma's is a sick little girl.  After boasting that she hadn't even had a sniffle since December last year (and dammit, I touched wood!)  she has spent the day lethargic and vomiting constantly.  She's sleeping beside me now, so I'm hoping that a good nights sleep will give her the rest she needs to recover.  I don't really want to go down the hospital route as per the last 2 vomiting episodes she has had.  Thank goodness for my lovely Mil who is coming up to watch both kids in the morning so I can go to an  appointment and then do some last minute exam cramming.

I'm so looking forward to Thursday afternoon when exams are over and I can relax.  I'll still be doing appointments and births etc, but it'll be a nice 3 week break from school work.  Before the onslaught of next semester anyway.

June 6th - From below

 

This beautiful hibiscus flower is on one of the trees up the side of the house, above the chook pen.  I had planned on taking some photos of the chooks from down low, but didn't realise how hard that would be to execute.  After unsuccessfully getting low enough to the ground  to get an "up" photo of Henny, whilst avoiding the chook poo, I gave up and went searching for pretties instead.  We have a very tropical garden with the only flowers around being these hibiscus and frangipanis.  When time and money permits, I'm actually planning on filling in all the empty pocket in the garden with colourful flowers.  Maybe then we won't have to raid the next door neighbours for fresh flowers for the table!

June 5th - From above

~~From above~~

It wasn't until the end of the afternoon that I remembered about today's photo for the challenge.  In between cooking a roast, as Duane's parents were coming over for dinner, and making all the snacks for the week, I grabbed Grace and we went outside for a quick photo shoot.  It's not very imaginative and certainly didn't involve any circus tricks to get high angles as requested, but it's technically from above.

Miss Grace is so easy to photograph (not like my other child who is a camera hater!) and so it didn't take long to snap a few photos from above.  I've also put 2 more of my favourites from the shoot in.

Whilst I'm here and I've got my beautiful daughters picture as inspiration, I thought I might give a quick update on Grace.  She is amazing and an absolute sweetheart and such a pleasure to mother.  She is loving school and we still haven't had a day where she's even hinted that she doesn't want to go.  She told me tonight that Kyran (who is one of the boys she's thinking about marrying - she has options!) kissed her - On.The.Lips.  She giggled and said that she didn't like it, but once questioned about if it really happened - she wasn't quite sure. and when  I asked whether I could ask Kyran about it, she made me promise that I wouldn't.  Man, isn't it to early to be dealing with this?

Apart from kissing boys, she's loving all the fun stuff at school and is busy knitting a scarf for her doll Marabella.  Each child has there own little basket of stationary and she was so excited last week to show me that she had been awarded her own pair of scissors and explained all the safety aspects of being a "scissor" owner.  They have 3 lessons per week of Italian, so she's been teaching us at home some words and songs.  Xav is her model student and is picking up the words easily, always wanting to know more about what she does at school and envious that he can't go too.

I was telling her yesterday how much I love her hair, especially since it's so silky straight and the colour is stunning.  Especially beside my frizzy mop that I can't seem to do anything with at the moment!  She did suggest I take her into the hairdressers and tell them I want my hair exactly the same.  If only it was that easy!

June 4th - Green

 

The photo challenge today was of something green.  This beautiful tree, at one of our favourite parks, looked absolutely glorious is the setting afternoon sun.  It's not a perfectly composed shot, but as I can't bear to take of my 50mm lens, there are limitations with how much I can fit in the frame!  

June 3rd - Clouds

Today was a beautiful crisp Gold Coast day - absolutely perfect!  Too perfect in fact, as when I went out this morning to take cloud photo for today's challenge, there wasn't one to be seen anywhere!  Just a light blue sky.  It wasn't until this afternoon when I ventured out from under a stack of textbooks, that I saw the clouds starting to hover.  It was still a perfect afternoon, but a scattering of wisps clouds scattered around gave me some material.

The photo below is the view looking out from the side of our house, into the Hinterland and beautiful Mt Tamborine

And as I couldn't decide which photo, here is another.  Of a dying tree that's over our back fence.  I love how by changing the photo to black and white, it completely changes the feel of the sky - all stormy and broody.

# 2 - What you wore today.

Today was a rarity for me.  I had no kids and no appointments to attend, so it was a day to stay home and study.  I only had to go out in the morning for school and pre-school drop off, something I could easily get away with in a t-shirt, jeans and my beloved birks.  These birks are the most comfortable shoes that my feet have had the pleasure of touching - little bits of heaven!  I know some say birks are ugly and old lady shoes - but I say try before you bag!  Isn't that right Miss Beck?  Funny that after the right royal bagging I got at a Mothers group dinner about the "ugly plank" shoes - most of the culprits went and ordered there own!  Ha! 

Anyway, so this was part of what I wore today whilst sitting outside in the winter sun, trying to understand the theory behind Pharmacokinetics  - really, really interesting.

1st June Photo Challenge - Self Portrait

The first day of the challenge is a self portrait.  I'm normally the one behind the lens, so it is a little out of my comfort zone to be on the other side.  I only had a few minutes this morning before leaving for the day, so I had a play working out settings, then gave the camera to Xav and said "shoot away".   So this is me - straight out of the shower (well, after getting dressed!).  Me in all my "bags under the eyes, uneven skin tone, dry lips and in the middle of a cold" glory!  I've never really been interested in make-up, but as I get older I'm thinking I might take it up!

30 day Photography Challenge

I on a blog stealing splurge at the moment!  All the cool kids are doing this, and I thought I'd jump on the bandwagon too - it looks like fun!  I probably don't have the time to be doing this, although it does appeal to my procrastinating side right now!